Point Stadium

Looking to see some amateur baseball players in action before they hit the big time? How about a little college, or even high school, baseball? If you’re a soccer or a football person, would you rather see that instead? Well, look no further than the Point Stadium in Johnstown, PA.

As I’ve mentioned before, Johnstown is my hometown. I decided that since there are so many places in Pittsburgh with so much to talk about, I’d expand outside of Pittsburgh. I originally didn’t want to do any places in Johnstown, because I doubt a tourist in Pittsburgh would want to make the 90-minute drive to Johnstown, but I guess you never know!

Anyway, the Point is an outdoor multipurpose stadium located in the heart of downtown Johnstown. And it’s a place that’s very dear to my heart, because it’s the soccer, football, and baseball home stadium for my high school, Bishop McCort. While I’ve never gone to a soccer or baseball game here, I’ve been to almost every football game here throughout my four years of high school because of marching band. It is also the home stadium for the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown (UPJ) baseball team, several middle school sports teams from the area’s Catholic schools, and where the annual All-American Amateur Baseball Association (AAABA) tournament has been held since it started.

The Point is the home turf of the Bishop McCort baseball, soccer, and football teams, some middle school sports teams, and the UPJ baseball team. As I said, I’ve never seen the soccer and baseball teams play before, but I’ve gone to almost every home football game with my school’s marching band. And let me tell you, you won’t find a better place for high school football. It’s a public stadium meant for large-scale events, so it’s not designed specifically for high school sports. But my high school uses it because there is no room for outdoor athletic facilities near the school itself. I’ve made a lot of memories here, both good and bad. The band is located right next to the student section and the cheerleaders. The school’s sports teams are known as the “Crimson Crushers”, so the student section is known as the “Crimson Crazies.” And they are probably one of the most passionate high school student sections you’ll ever see, especially at home games. And it’s not just students that attend games: a ton of parents, teachers, alumni, etc., attend the games as well. A lot of elementary and middle school students from the various Catholic schools also enjoy attending the games, mainly because they plan to attend Bishop McCort for high school. I used to enjoy coming to games with my friends when I was in middle school. I spent a lot of time here with my high school’s band; we played in the stands during the game and on the field at halftime, and we rehearsed here every Tuesday night during football season. One of the best things about being a member of the Bishop McCort band was walking out onto the field and looking for my family in the crowd. It also brings back memories of seeing some of my friends get crowned homecoming queen, and being escorted onto the field by my parents for senior recognition night. If I didn’t live so far from home, I’d love to go back to a game; unfortunately, however, I haven’t gotten the chance to attend a game since before I graduated, even during fall break. I’d especially like to go back this year, because the team is currently in the playoffs and is doing incredibly well (that may or may not still be the case by the time you’re reading this, though). It’s bigger than a lot of high school and college stadiums, which is what makes the Point perfect for UPJ baseball, as well as middle school sports and Bishop McCort baseball, football, and soccer.

The national AAABA has held its annual tournament at the Point every year since 1946. The AAABA is comprised of several different teams of amateur baseball players seeking fame. Their tournament is held every year in early August, and lasts for about a week or so. Some of the greatest baseball players of all time have played at the Point during the AAABA tournament, such as the legendary Jackie Robinson. The AAABA tournament is one of the most popular events in the area. There is always an amazing turnout. A lot of my friends are AAABA ambassadors. In addition to working at and promoting the games, ambassadors also get a bunch of free tickets that they can give away to people. There is a hall of fame for the AAABA located at the front of the stadium. Unfortunately, I’ve never been to a AAABA game, so I hope to go to one someday. Below, you can see a video shot with a drone from last year’s AAABA game; one thing you’ll probably notice in particular is how packed the stadium is. A reviewer on TripAdvisor said that the AAABA games are “great for local people.” To witness baseball players who may go on to be legends, check out the annual AAABA tournament at the Point.

Here are some other things to know about the Point, from tips to other events held there. The Point occasionally holds events other than the ones I already mentioned, including a Fourth of July concert performed by the Johnstown Symphony Orchestra (JSO). The concert is immediately followed by fireworks. Since downtown Johnstown is the lowest point in town, you can easily see the fireworks if you live in one of the higher elevated neighborhoods. For example, I can always see them in the distance from Westmont, the neighborhood I grew up in. The Point Stadium is also the starting point for the Johnstown Halloween Parade; all acts and performers wait inside the stadium to go on. This is what my school’s marching band did when we performed in the parade. As far as other events go, there’s not much else to say, so here’s some tips for going to an event at the Point Stadium. First, if you’re going to an event such as a Bishop McCort football game or the AAABA Tournament, do not park in the lot in front of the Point. It’s very small, and is often completely inaccessible during games due to merchandise sales taking up the space. You’ll need to park in front of one of the downtown Johnstown parking meters, or in one of the parking lots of the nearby buildings. A good place to park is the lot for Suppes Ford, which is across the street; however, this lot is inaccessible during the homecoming game due to the alumni tailgate being held in it. The next piece of advice I wanted to mention was in regards to food. The concessions stand at the Point Stadium has delicious food; I highly recommend it. However, if you’re going to buy food during a Bishop McCort football game, the best time to do it is BEFORE THE GAME. I’m saying this from personal experience; the band members get the third quarter off to socialize and buy food, and at every game, the line was extremely long during the third quarter. It seems like its busiest times are during the third quarter and halftime. But the concessions stand opens about 15 minutes before the game starts, so you’ll be able to get food and get back to your seats in time for kickoff. The final piece of advice I wanted to give was about re-entry into the stadium. As of a few years ago, the Point Stadium does not allow anyone to leave and re-enter the stadium during a Bishop McCort athletic event. This used to be permitted as long as you showed your ticket before re-entering, and people used to take advantage of it by doing things such as walking to the Chinese restaurant next door, where there were free Shirley Temples available for all game attendees. However, due to a certain incident, a no re-entry policy was put in place. For this reason, my suggestion is to make sure you have EVERYTHING with you that you need before leaving your car to enter the stadium, because you won’t be able to go back to your car during the game if you forget anything. Speaking from personal experience, these tips will make your experience at the Point Stadium so much simpler.

Whether you’re looking to see a Fourth of July symphony, some college baseball, some amateur baseball, or my alma mater’s athletic skills, there’s no better place to do it than the Point Stadium in downtown Johnstown.